1. Field of the Invention
At least one aspect in accord with the present invention relates generally to apparatus and processes for modeling data centers, and more specifically, to apparatus and processes for analyzing the impact of nonstandard operation of one or more elements of a data center.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In response to the increasing demands of information-based economies, information technology networks continue to proliferate across the globe. One manifestation of this growth is the centralized network data center. A centralized network data center typically consists of various information technology equipment, collocated in a structure that provides network connectivity, electrical power and cooling capacity. Often the equipment is housed in specialized enclosures termed “racks” which integrate these communications, power and cooling elements. In some data center configurations, rows of racks are organized into hot and cold aisles to decrease the cost associated with cooling the information technology equipment. These characteristics make data centers a cost effective way to deliver the computing power required by many software applications.
Various processes and software applications have been developed to aid data center personnel in designing data centers. To enable the data center design process, some of these tools allow users to create logical models of data centers. These logical models allow users to plan, test and reconfigure a variety of data center layouts to determine which layouts can be expected to satisfy desired data center performance and cost characteristics.